Complete the Story

Hungry

**TR: Gore**

At first, we thought the black liquid was oil, that we'd struck it rich and that we'd be able to retire and live in leisure. We actually started writing down all the ways we'd spend the money. Our first choice was to buy a house suitable enough to hold our growing family. The kids would be put through any college of their choice and Mila and I would never have to worry about hurting for anything ever again.

Then, the liquid started getting thicker. It turned into a more tar like substance, and Mila and I shared a concerned look. It gurgled and sputtered, flinging black ooze all over the place. I motioned for her to turn the pump off before it got worse and she immediately went to do so. Our shared dreams were crushed in an instant. Whatever we had hit- it certainly wasn't oil.

The liquid kept pouring out at an alarming rate. I looked over to see what was holding my wife up, except I could see from here that the pump was clearly turned off. I felt a hot spray against my right calf and turned back around to see the faucet was now spewing black ooze. Mila shouted for me to move away, but the burning in my leg was too excruciating for me to even bear the thought of moving it. I buckled down in pain, holding the area of my leg that was now covered in ooze- the leg of my pants disintegrating where the liquid had touched it. I could see the flesh on my hands begin to melt off- the absolute horror of it sending my mind into complete shock.

I turned back to Mila, frozen in place and felt another hot splash slap me across the face. My wife's eyes grew wide, her hands covered her open mouth as she watched helplessly. She, too, seemed to be frozen. I felt a drip on my chest, this one different from the hot splash the liquid caused. I looked down, curious to what would be falling on my chest at a time like this. A discolored goo was dripping its way down my body, leaving a trail of holes in my shirt as it disintegrated like my pants. Only then did I realize that my face was melting off. If I didn't move away from the spouting faucet, I would surely die.

Except... I still find it in me to move. I could see the bone in my hands and my leg, I felt my vision shift as I assume my right eye began to melt away with the rest of my face. Yet I felt no pain. More liquid touched the side of my body, the heat no longer touching my dying nerves. It was inevitable, and I knew it. As I turned towards my wife, hoping to see her beautiful face one last time- I thought about what I would be leaving my family with.

There wasn't much, really. The thought saddened my heart. I have failed my family, but most of all I have failed my wife. When we exchanged vows, she never signed up for the life I have given her. I have been unkind at the utmost unrespectable times. I have denied her little happiness's on the promise that she would one day have more than she could imagine, when we could afford to splurge on simple 'wants' and not hurt for our 'needs'. I have argued with her over the silliest things, causing havoc when I should have been holding her hand and practicing patients with her. And now, worst of all, I am going to be leaving her in this world, little money to our name, with our 3 children whom are all too young to help support their widowed mother.

I felt a tear escape my remaining eye as I looked back at her. I took in every feature I could as I felt my body begin to crumble beneath me- her golden blonde hair billowing in the wind, her brilliant green eyes swirling in the sunlight, her plump lips twisting up in that heart stopping smile that stole me from the very beginning...

My limbs gave out, no longer willing to support my weight anymore. I fell to the ground, liquid continuing to spray over me as I lay frozen in fear watching the woman who I have loved for several years escalate from a giggle to a full out hysterical belly laugh as my skin melted right in front of her eyes. I tried to call out to her, confused and terrified by her reaction, but all that would escape from my throat was a hoarse croak. It only seemed to set her off more, her body doubling over in a hysterical fit, her fist clenched to her stomach.

I watched weakly as the skin below her shirt began to bubble. At first, I thought I was hallucinating the small movements, but then they began to grow and rip open. Black blood poured from her back and dripped from her face. Two grotesque bones protruded from her spine, sticking straight out and then bending at her side, fluttering as if to fluff up feathers that were no longer attached to them. Mila's head tilted to the side, lifting her face to look upside down at me- her smile now poisoned with sharp fangs filling her entire mouth. Her eyes locked onto mine, and as I felt my heart beat slow and pondered about this side of my wife I never got to know- a long split tongue shot out of her mouth and hungrily licked the top of her lips.